Bharti rejects evidence tampering report

New Delhi, Jan 14: Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti Tuesday called the media report accusing him of tampering with the evidence in a case he was handling last year as an “absolute lie”.

“The report indicting me for tampering with evidence is an absolute lie and I don’t understand what was the urgency for him (reporter) to go ahead without cross verifying the facts with me as this news pertains to Aug 2013,” Bharti told reporters here.

“The case pertains to Rs.116 crore scam in the State Bank of Mysore. I also have the audio clip, which I was giving as an evidence. As I was in the process of strengthening the evidence, I have been accused of tampering,” added Bharti.

According to the media report, an order was passed by then CBI Special Judge Poonam A. Bamba when she pulled up Bharti and his client Pawan Kumar – facing prosecution on corruption charges – after the CBI accused them of influencing a prosecution witness by speaking to him on phone and discussing the case.

“The judgment is absolutely erroneous and it was wrong on the part of the CBI judge to say that there was tampering of evidence,” Bharti said.

Earlier, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also defended the minister, saying no tampering of the evidence was done.